Godfrey Miller (1893-1964) arrived in Australia from his native New Zealand in 1919. Serving as a Light Horseman in Egypt and Gallipoli, he was badly wounded. After his convalescence he continued his studies as an architect. From 1929 to 1931 he studied at the Slade School in London and throughout the 1930s he travelled extensively throughout Europe. In 1939 he settled in Sydney. From 1948 until his death Miller was a part-time teacher at East Sydney Technical College. His abstracted landscapes, nudes and still-life paintings are characterised by faceted and shimmering surfaces, a reflection of his enduring interest in molecular science and mathematics. The Art Gallery of New South Wales mounted a retrospective exhibition, Godfrey Miller, in 1996.
Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Richard King 2008
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
Richard King (16 portraits)
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
A photographic portrait by Kerry Dundas captures the contemplative mind of visionary painter Godfrey Miller.
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